Monday, May 5, 2014

toilets and toast

I have decided the hardest thing about a mission, is having to use the toilet, especially because shops and restaurants and other places here don't have any, or they are not available to the public.... so if we are out on the streets in town centre it is pretty much the worst thing ever. but i found this little cafe that has one, so we go there a lot. but you have to buy something, and the cheapest thing on the menu is toast..... so we get a lot of toast.  

We email from the internet hair cutting place like I told you, and this bald black guy is getting his hair done...... i don't really know how it works, but the barber has been working on him for about 30 mins, and it still looks the same..... bald.  someone just needs to let him down gently.  

I have figured out a way to inspire me to write in my journal, I bought a fancy pen!! okay it is a cheap fancy pen, but still.... it is the quill kind. i don't really know how to write with it very well, but my idea has worked, i have been writing in my journal more! also it is because Sister hymas makes me.

Donna is still my favourite person in the whole wide world.  the cutest littlest older lady.  She just gets it, and it is so fun teaching her, because we can ask the deeper questions, and she can make the connections.  She is such a great missionary as well, her children have been questioning her and wondering if she should join the church and she is answering all of their questions and defending her faith! and she says things straight up.  She said when they ask her questions she doesn't know that she tells them,  " I don't know.  I don't know everything, I am still learning, but I like what I am learning, and I feel good about it."  talk about incredible.  after hearing that her family is more supportive... we are trying to meet with them, but we haven't been able to yet.  but i just can't wait for the 25th! and to send you pics of her.  the other day we had to go early to our appointment.  about 50 mins early, (who would think, missionaries early)  and she answered the door and was in her nightgown and didn't have her teeth in, and we said  " we are so sorry we are a bit early!"  she responded, " ya! 50 mins early!"  but in her closing prayer she mentioned that she had a great time, and she knew that we loved her and loved coming even in her unready state. :) 

2 great miracles that happened this week, but i don't really feel like typing, so i will try and summarise, so i hope they make sense,

I was walking down the street and Sister Hymas crossed the street, and but i decided I just wanted to keep walking on this side (not because we don't get along.... we do..... too well ha) but I was walking and just said hello to this girl about early 20's.  she looked confused said hi and then said "ohhhh that's where I know you from."  Then it was my turn to look confused, because i did not recognise her one bit. and i am pretty decent at at least recognising people.  Then she told me, "oh you don't know me, sorry, but I sat behind you on the bus the other day, and heard you talking to a lady and telling her about being over here for a year and being a missionary, and i was eavesdropping....."  fine by me! we got talking, and now we are teaching her! she is so cool. just goes to show you never know who is listening, so even if the person you are talking to is not interested, nothing is ever a wasted effort!   

also another miracle.  her name is Anca from Romania.  There is this lady in the ward named Delunna (acutally dalounna, but i spelled it wrong for a long time, and now i can't really switch, it looks too weird to me)   well she is incredible.  long story short, her life has been really full of challenges, her husband left the church and the family and now all her kids are grown and are less active. but she is still a power house. she lives with her 19 son, 20 daughter and like 24 son, and his wife and their little baby.   anyways we went to go visit her the other day, and begged her to allow us to weed her garden.  finally after much persuasion, she accepted.  We came the next week and weeded the whole front. (not an easy task)  but half way through her daughter-in-law that lives there came out and asked if she could help.  We got talking and she asked what we do and different questions and then she asked if we could teach her!  of course we readily agreed.  

Our first lesson was brilliant.  The spirit was so strong.  She is so sweet, and such a hard worker, and wants to become a good example for her son, and raise him right.  anyways long story short, we came back and she had written a whole page of notes and questions from reading alma 32 which is what we left her.  She said "it is exactly what i needed to read!"  also she said it was the first day in a longggg time that she didn't have a panic attack. and she feels something changing inside, and she blames it all on us.  and that her husband told her that if she is going to come to church, then he will come as well!! the thing is that missionaries have been going to dinner at that home for months and months. it just shows that Heavenly Father knows when the time is right and knows each one of us personally.  That is something I learned with all my heart here on my mission, is that we are each children of God, and that He loves us so much.  the details of our lives matter to Him, and He is waiting and wanting to help and bless us.  We just need to ask! 

Also I want to play matchmaker and have William marry this lady in the ward.... hard thing is that as a missionary we make plans for everything!.... but i have realised this isn't really something you can make plans for. dang. they would be so cute.   

oh ya can we skype 7 your time. so 3 here and 8 for becca. in the morning. is that okay? ya i will log onto beccas and you onto mine i guess. works for me! 

also you know how it was all such a big deal that we can now use facebook.  sister hymas and i have both been blocked for the past few weeks because it thinks we are spammers soooooooo we don't even use it. ha 

also there was a tube strike last week, right in the middle of when we were doing exchanges with the visitor center sisters, and so traveling was a nightmare!!! i decided it is a good thing i am not claustrophobic or i would have freaked. soooooo  many people crammed into a tiny little cart under the ground.  just asking for someone to freak out.     there were massive lines to get on, but the tubes that were coming were all full so no one could get on, so finally the doors open and this lady flings herself on top of the people inside and yells sorry i am late!! it was the funniest thing.  poor people. she literally threw herself on top of them because there was no room.   

that is so exciting for jesse! such a great thing for that family.  really neat that you got to baptise him dad.  also please no fish.  had to eat it at someones home the other day. there was bones. and. everything!!!! ew i almost died.  (Ed and Adam went fishing with the Woodhouses and caught a lot of tapia).  

well have to run, but i love you! i can't believe we are talking this sunday..... where did those 5 months go!! happy early mothers day!!!! love you!!! rachel 

i feel like i am forgetting to say something.... oh well.  

oh we had a mission leader council this week and elder Teixeira and his wife came and spoke to us! it was great! i'll send some thoughts from that next week..... 

OK - mom's notes.  First off, Rachel asks me to change the names of the people in her blog  for privacy sake, which is fine.  This week, however, I found myself challenged with changing not only the name, but it's former misspelling.  Now it's really misspelled.  Oh well.  
I looked at the first picture Rachel sent and wondered why she was sending me this? 


Then I looked at the next one ... and it all became clear.  That's what you call service!  Can't wait until she gets home!  


Maybe for Mother's Day I'll ask for a picture with HER in the freshly weeded garden.  I'll just be happy I got a picture --so beautiful and green!

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